Many threads...on lifestyle

[Choices321]

NC for this.

Have I just woken up in a parallel universe or what's going on here with so many threads about it being WILD/HARD etc to live in England/London etc without inheritance etc etc and not being able to buy on single income etc. Even some say it is impossible with 2 incomes.

Look, I chose to study hard (5 years and more to qualify), surviving on 4/5 hour sleep throughout my 20s and early 30s to get good grades and to do well in my demanding and difficult career.

ALSO, I flat shared when I used LOGIC that I was hardly at home as worked all the time, so why pay for walls?

Because I was so busy working on my career, it meant I had no time for holidays except 3 weeks each year to see mum; and therefore not many opportunities to spend (waste money) on useless things.

So, I was able to buy a 2 bed flat in Zone 3 on SINGLE income aged 29. So I find it insulting that people want to say you need to be in a couple to afford that. I have since, again on my own, managed to buy a flat in Zone 1.

NONE of that would be possible without choosing a difficult degree and a career where I could earn enough, or if had pissed my early earnings on renting studio flats etc or endless holidays or days at cinemas.

Some posters quite rightly say those who cannot get £350K homes with their spouse who is a low earner, made a poor choice of spouse etc etc I agree. etc etc etc

No inheritance here and none will be forth coming- ever. In fact, I support extended families. So, I knew the hand I had been dealt and made my choices accordingly! How is MN going to help with the choices you made 10 or so years ago? We cannot!

Choices people. Choices. Thank you.

This thread is not about CoL crisis. It is also not about millennials.

🍿

Same 😂

That's nice dear.

Well that single income must have been enormous to do that

Or it was a studio?

Congratulations. And was that back in the 80s?

Yep. I'm very successful myself but the difference is I have compassion for other people and I understand that others have worked as hard as I have but haven't had the same luck. You sound awful.

From 2000s.In fact I delayed home ownership to train some more in my career.

I too have compassion. However, the recent threads come across as entitlement and people unable to understand if, with your £120K annual earnings as a couple, you can only afford a place outside London to raise the family, that's what you do. Quietly! Not moan about it and demanding to live in London.

You also had the choice not to wake up and be a patronising fool on the internet but here we are. I know your slaving away working sooo hard but this seems like a classic case of far too much time on your hands. So keep going and you might be able to buy in a different zone next time . 😔 get well soon xo

Yes it was possible for those of us in Gen X (born 75-85). Not so much after that.
I’m guessing you are a 40 something medic?

You had no fun in your 20's and 30's so you could be sour and bitter in your 40's and beyond

You might have a few bricks and a bit of mortar but no joy? What the hell is the point in this?

The recession also hit soon after buying and I very much had to sell the flat as was locked on a high interest rate for 5 years; again, I just said no new clothes for next 2 years ( I had enough anyway), tightened belt, and poured all my spare cash on the flat and now I still have the flat.

No sweet without sweat. Sacrifices. Sacrifices. Life is hard. So we make right choices to counter that.

Life's not hard for everyone

So sorry you have found life so hard op. Such a shame you have no joy, fun or happiness.

You crack on poppet. I'm not sure why the tone of your posts suggest you think we are all envious and want to be like you, though.

Or you could do what I did and have 3 kids, get a 3 bed HA house in a lovely village for £560 a month, work part time, get topped up with UC and have money for days out and new clothes 🍿

I am happy for you that you were able to do
that.

I'm disabled. I have a (good) degree. I can't work and survive on only 4-5 hours sleep as I have non epileptic seizures.

I am glad that you can.

Housing is very expensive in this country. I do own a house and I have compassion for those who cannot possibly afford one.

Much like after the war, when the government slogan was homes for heroes, I think the people in Britain should be able to afford reasonable housing without killing themselves with their working hours.

I just said no new clothes for next 2 years ( I had enough anyway).

Kirsty said we should give up takeout coffees too. Did she lie? 😱

I think that in her own way the op is trying to say don't bleat on - take action .. or if you cant , then accept you cant have a b or c .
( like quietly get on with it ) .?
I am not saying she is right or wrong but I think its her stance . ?
so is she bu ?

Got to be bait but…

Bought age 29 just before the recession, so say 2007. 18 years ago. This makes you 47.

Have you considered that for those younger than you property in London is rather more expensive than in 2007?

At least twice as expensive - probably 3x as much in many areas.

How much is that flat worth today, and how much did you buy it for? I’d guess it’s valued at 2-3x as much.

What a boring life you seem to have. So you had no social life, no holidays, no nights out, cinema trips, going out to dinner, social nights with friends. You worked like a dog so you could afford a flat in London. 👍

FrogsWormsandCaterpillars thats just goady ! Not just to op - but to many of us 😔

Good for you OP 🙄.

A lot of us millennials did okay too, I bought an old terraced city house on a low income in 2016 and sold it for almost twice that price last year. Much much harder for people today. I really couldn't judge any first time buyers trying to find a place for complaining about housing costs, it's really tough out there at the moment.

She’s BU in not acknowledging that what she achieved is rather more difficult today.

Also doesn’t mention children, so not considering the additional £2k+ a month per child some people are having to find to pay for childcare.

That's my experience as well but I think it depends on where you are, and what the cost of living was at the time of saving. Back then a weekly shop was £40 and a room in a house share all bills included was £300 (North of England) so it was really easy to save money and buy a house outright after a few years (again North of England). Nowadays these parameters are very different.